RPS Chatter October 2026

Message from the Principal

1 week down… 10 weeks to go! The term is just beginning, and with so much happening, let’s jump straight into it.

Extra, Extra, READ all about it!

We recommend that children read at home as often as possible (in an ideal world that would be every day). Sometimes it can be a fine line between providing the challenge for your child’s reading to improve and making the reading task too arduous so the child loses interest. We want to ensure that your child develops their reading skills to their greatest level whilst maintaining a love of reading and literature. Some of the books your child chooses will be books that they are able to read by themselves, some will be more suitable for you to read together, and some will be best suited for you to read to your child. All these situations are valuable reading experiences for children.

As teachers, we are often asked by parents how they can help their children become better readers. The answer is simple……. READ MORE! Research has shown that the benefits speak for themselves:

On average, a student who reads at home for 20 minutes per day will be exposed to 1.8 million words per year and scores in the 90th Percentile on standardised tests
On average, a student who reads at home for 5 minutes per day will be exposed to 282,000 words per year and scores in the 50th percentile on standardised tests
On average, a student who reads at home for 1 minute per day will be exposed to 8,000 words per year and scores in the 10th percentile on standardised tests.

Don’t get me wrong, I struggle to find the time for myself to sit and read for 20 minutes a day…especially if it’s reading for pleasure…. and don’t get me started on the difficulties of trying to “encourage” a teenager to sit and read (rather than watch the movie). When I work out the solution to that issue, I’ll be sure to let you know 😊.

Planning for 2027

As we begin planning for the 2027 school year, we are asking all families to ensure the school has the most up-to-date information about their enrolment intentions. If you have not yet enrolled your child for 2027, or if your family is intending to leave the RPS community, please contact the office as soon as possible. Accurate enrolment numbers are vital to the planning we undertake over the coming months. They help determine how many classes we can offer, the staffing we require, the student support programs we can provide, and how we allocate resources across the school. The earlier we have a clear picture of our expected enrolments, the better placed we are to make informed decisions and ensure every child has the best possible start to the 2027 school year.

We understand that circumstances can change, and families make schooling decisions for a variety of reasons. We simply ask that you keep us informed so we can plan effectively, support our students and staff, and continue providing the best possible learning environment for every child.

2027 Class lists

Speaking of 2027…it’s that time of year when you have the opportunity to contact me in writing regarding student preferences for next year. This communication between us is completely confidential and not discussed with other community members. Requests are not a guarantee, but we do consider them when putting our classes together. Please have all requests to me by Friday, 20th November.

It is probably also a good time to start speaking with your child about what makes a positive learning partner (rather than their besties).

Still to come this term:

Foundation Transition sessions
Working Bee (Sunday, November 30th)
2027 Planning Week
Moving on up day
Year 6 Graduation
Year 6 Open Water excursion
Meet the teacher
End-of-year reports released

It does remind me that with so much going on, it’s easy to forget or misinterpret information. If you ever need clarification, be sure to check the website or call the office so we can set you straight.

Last day of the School Year

Our last official day with students is Friday, December 18th. The day will begin with a final whole-school assembly on the netball court at 9:10 am. Students will be dismissed from their learning spaces at 1:00 pm.